British Mercenary dies in Russian captivity

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Paul Urey - Sputnik International, 1920, 15.07.2022

45-year-old British national Paul Urey and a comrade in arms were captured at a checkpoint outside the southeastern city of Zaporozhye in late April. Ukrainian and British media have alleged that the men were “humanitarian volunteers.”

The Donetsk People’s Republic said they were mercenaries fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.Detained Briton Paul Urey passed away in DPR captivity on July 10, the Republic’s ombudswoman for human rights Daria Morozova has announced.“Among the [captured foreign citizens who fought alongside Ukrainian forces] was British national Paul Johnson Anthony Dominic Urey.

During his first medical examination, he was diagnosed with a number of chronic diseases, including insulin-dependent diabetes, respiratory and kidney failure, and a number of diseases of the cardiovascular system,” Morozova said in a press release Friday.

Morozova indicated that the DPR provided Urey with all possible forms of medical assistance, notwithstanding the “severity of his alleged crime” (i.e. taking up arms against the Republic). “However, accounting for his diagnoses and stress, he passed away on July 10,” she said. The ombudswoman said Mr. Urey was a professional soldier who took part in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya before traveling to Ukraine.

Morozova further indicated that Urey, who was being held at an institution of the DPR penitentiary system, was also suffering from depression due to purported indifference toward his fate in his homeland. She said international organizations and British authorities including the Foreign Office and members of parliament were notified of Urey’s capture. At his request, foreign media were also made aware of his fate.